Logistics Specialist Seaman Natasha Tazewell, originally from Hornell, N.Y., is an adventure seeker with a quiet personality. Although she enjoys relaxing by herself in her down time, her current favorite activity

is finding out all there is to know about the Pacific Northwest.“I’m a big reader, but mostly I love spending time with my friends and

exploring Washington,” said Tazewell. “I’m from the East Coast, so it’s all new to me here.”

Tazewell, who has been working for Lincoln’s Supply Response division for 10 months, said it is important to her to make the time to visit fairs, museums, concerts and clubs.

“One time, my friends and I found salsa dancing lessons right in the middle of downtown Seattle. That was a lot of fun,” she said.

However, it isn’t all adventures with friends for this young Sailor. Tazewell is also focused on working hard and building her skills as an LS.

“I love that I get to learn a lot in Supply Response,” she said. “There is always some kind of new training I can learn about.”

While Tazewell said her main goal is to be the best in the Navy in her rate, she is focused on continuing her college education to become a paralegal. “There’s just something about law that I’ve been interested in since high school. I really want to go to law school. Getting into the field of law is the most important thing to me.”

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What, exactly, iS a FaSt cRuiSe?Before the Sailors of the aircraft carrier

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) experience their first underway period

since returning from a 6 1/2 month deployment earlier this year, they must participate in a fast

cruise exercise. Just what is a fast cruise? Well, new guys, it has

nothing to do with the speed of the ship.A fast cruise is a simulated underway environment

designed to ensure the ship is in good working condition and that the crew is fully trained and efficient in its duties before beginning the arduous grind of being out to sea.

As Command Master Chief Susan Whitman described it, a fast cruise is intended “to practice being underway without actually getting underway.”

Whitman said the critical value of such an exercise is ensuring the crew is acting in accordance with all the proper safety regulations.

“We have to make sure we stay focused on the tasks at hand, which are training the crew and maintaining the ship,” said Whitman. “We also have to make sure we do these things safely.”

Since Lincoln has been pierside in Everett for more than two months, the fast cruise will provide the ship and her crew a chance to knock the rust off.

Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Nathaniel Kramer, aboard for almost six years, said he knows what to expect from a fast cruise exercise.

“Fast cruise is an opportunity for us to take care of the little wrinkles,” said Kramer. “It’s a lot easier to address these issues now while the ship is pierside. That way, once we get out to sea, the little wrinkles don’t become serious problems.”

Kramer also said a fast cruise is an opportunity to give new personnel an idea of what to expect from the ship during an underway period.

“It’s a time where we can get everyone on board,” he said. “Everyone gets that period of adjustment. They get an idea of what to expect.”

Kramer said the younger Sailors who have never been underway have a lot to learn about the ship, but nothing to worry about.

“Just be where you’re supposed to be and do what you’re supposed to do,” he said. “Oh, and make sure you get enough sleep. You’ll need all the rest you can get.”

Story and photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Zachary Hunt

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U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Wade T. OberlinU.S. Navy photo by MC3 Wade T. Oberlin

U.S. Navy photo by MC3 Wade T. Oberlin

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U.S. Navy photo by MCC E. Slade Powell

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Adam Randolph

In port and underway, Lincoln’s success depends upon her watertight integrity and firefighting capabilities, strengths built

aboard the ship through regular damage control (DC) training, the essential component of the

ship’s incident response survivability plan. Lt. Cmdr. Ricky Rivera said he believes all of the ship’s

Sailors should be thoroughly trained in DC readiness.“It’s not about motivation, it’s about your duty to your

shipmates,” Rivera said. “We don’t have a fire department on board, so your shipmates deserve to know that the person next to them is going to know what to do if there’s a fire.”

Rivera said that during this port period, he has closely examined the ship’s DC mission to evaluate the program’s strengths and weaknesses.

“I’ve really been looking into the level of expertise that we have on the damage control training teams (DCTTs). If the DCTTs are subject matter experts, I feel more comfortable in the knowledge that the ship’s crew is trained,” he said.

From in-port emergency team drills to qualifications, Rivera is making sure Lincoln’s Sailors are prepared for any scenario.

“I want each individual Sailor to ask why we’re doing what we’re doing. By asking DC questions, each Sailor will be

more likely to think critically, remain calm, and—most importantly—prevent shipmates from being hurt,” said Rivera.

Senior Chief Engineman Ben “El Jefe” Rivera, a DCTT leader for the ship’s 7A repair locker, assists locker leaders and officers during casualties and training scenarios. He said every Sailor’s first responsibility is to take care of the ship first.

“Becoming part of a locker gives a Sailor the hands-on opportunity to see what an actual casualty would involve, and it ensures the Sailor will understand how to use DC equipment should the need arise,” Senior Chief Rivera said.

At no time was this more evident than the bombing of the destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) in 2000. Just

seconds after the catastrophic explosion, all hands swiftly took control to prevent further

damage to the ship. Although 17 Sailors lost their lives in the initial explosion, the prompt response

of Cole’s crew prevented a complete failure of the ship’s internal systems.

“As we learned with Cole, DC is about survivability of the ship,” Lt.

Cmdr. Rivera said. “If we’re able to prevent a cascading effect throughout the ship without hindering the ship’s core capabilities, then we’re on the right track.”

Sailors interested in learning more about repair locker opportunities should contact their departmental leading petty officer.

Always a Top Priority, In Port & At SeaDamage CoNtroL traiNiNg

Photos by MC1 Sarah Murphy